Councillors reject meeting change

ATTEMPTS to change the venue and times of Toowoomba Regional Council's board meetings resulted in one councillor threatening to resign over the possibility she would have to stay past 5pm.

Council yesterday considered a proposal to hold all of its monthly board meetings at City Hall in Toowoomba at 3pm.

Since amalgamation, they had been held on a rotational basis throughout the region starting at 9am. Despite councillors discussing, and apparently agreeing to, the proposal at a workshop last month, there was stern opposition at yesterday's committee meetings.

Cr Ros Scotney argued a sick family member made it almost impossible for her to remain in Toowoomba past 5pm.

She said that if the meetings were held at 3pm and regularly went past 5pm, she would be forced to tender her resignation.

“My mother comes first in my life,” she said.

Cr Anne Glasheen said she was “dead against” the proposal because it would take board meetings away from district communities.

“We are an amalgamated shire and everything has to come back to Toowoomba because it is the largest centre, and we understand that,” she said.

“But us as a council and our executive management team needs to be seen out in the region.”

But CEO Ken Gouldthorp said holding the meetings in Toowoomba would give councillors more time to consult with district communities.

Mr Gouldthorp said the district meetings had proved ineffective because public attendance had been very low.

He said the plan was to instead hold regular “consultation sessions” which he argued would give residents more chance to meet with councillors.

However, widespread opposition to the proposal means councillors will vote at next week's board meeting to retain the current meeting structure.